The Netherlands has already made up its mind to be against our country's semiconductor enterprises. On February 11 local time, an appeals court in Amsterdam ruled to formally investigate the Chinese enterprise's so-called "poor management".
To the surprise of Dutch authorities, China's counterattack came within less than 24 hours. On February 12, our Ministry of Commerce decided to impose anti-subsidy duties on imported related dairy products from the EU.
After a large number of hawks toward China entered the cabinet, the Netherlands ordered an investigation into Chinese enterprises
The Dutch authorities are determined to go their own way
On February 11, the Amsterdam Enterprise Court ruled to approve the formal investigation into the Chinese enterprise while maintaining the restrictions on the Chinese CEO's position.
The statement by the Chinese enterprise used eight characters: "extremely disappointed and strongly dissatisfied."
This is not the first time. Since last September, when the Dutch government suddenly "took over" half of a Chinese semiconductor company, this leading Chinese semiconductor enterprise has been continuously targeted by European countries.
At that time, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy suddenly issued a ministerial order, citing "national security" as the reason to intervene in the operations of the Chinese enterprise. The Amsterdam Enterprise Court followed suit, suspending the position of the Chinese CEO and restricting the shareholder rights of the Chinese enterprise.
To the surprise of the Dutch authorities, their actions have come at a huge cost. As a major supplier of automotive chips globally, once the supply of Chinese semiconductors was cut off, automakers in the US, Europe, and Japan all suffered.
Several car factories were forced to adjust production plans, and the supply chain alarm was triggered. Countries such as Japan and Germany sought direct orders with our companies, and we also tightened measures against the Netherlands.
Under our warning, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs announced in October last year to suspend the intervention, but the temporary measures by the enterprise court remained in place. Now, the Dutch judicial system has begun to provoke us again on this issue.
The headquarters of the Chinese enterprise in Nijmegen, the Netherlands
On January 14, the Dutch enterprise court held a public hearing, with two core issues: whether to start a formal investigation and whether to revoke the temporary measures. The hearing did not give a conclusion immediately.
On February 11, the ruling came. The conclusion was: the formal investigation would be initiated, and the temporary measures would remain, and the company's control rights would continue to be restricted.
The Chinese enterprise stated clearly: while the court said "a need for investigation," it continued to maintain the temporary measures based on "one-sided and untrue information." Isn't that contradictory?
The court expanded the investigation scope to the current interim management team, yet allowed them to continue holding the company. What logic is that? These questions went unanswered by the Dutch court.
America has tied the Netherlands to the "war chariot"
It should be noted that this dispute is not just a bilateral issue between China and the Netherlands.
According to court documents, as early as June 2025, U.S. officials had clearly indicated to the Netherlands: if this Chinese semiconductor enterprise wanted to be exempted from the U.S. "Entity List," its Chinese CEO "must be replaced."
The Netherlands complied, but after the United States subsequently made a "tariff compromise" with China and no longer enforced the so-called "50% penetration rule" against China, the Netherlands, which acted first, found itself in an awkward situation.
Media pointed out that the Netherlands now faces a triple dilemma: legal consistency, political credibility, and industrial survival.
More intriguing is the timing. This Monday, the new Dutch cabinet lineup was basically finalized, with a large number of hawks toward China entering the cabinet. Two days later, the enterprise court made a ruling unfavorable to the Chinese enterprise.
China has made full preparations
Facing the unreasonable actions of the Netherlands, the Chinese enterprise has already taken self-rescue measures. According to Reuters, Chinese factories have been operating independently and are actively seeking to replace European-made wafers with domestic alternatives.
In other words, the longer the Dutch court delays, the more value the Netherlands loses. This is not the Chinese enterprise's "de-linking," but the Netherlands itself pushing itself out of the supply chain.
The statement by the Chinese enterprise contains a sentence worth careful consideration: "We warmly welcome the truth being clarified." Implicitly, it may mean that the Netherlands can investigate freely, and the Chinese enterprise is not afraid of being investigated. Those who are afraid of being investigated know well themselves.
Our Ministry of Commerce launched countermeasures
Notably, on February 11, the Dutch court issued a ruling against the Chinese enterprise. Within less than 24 hours, our Ministry of Commerce released Announcement No. 9 of 2026 on February 12.
Starting from February 13, anti-subsidy duties will be imposed on imported related dairy products from the EU, with rates ranging from 7.4% to 11.7%, and the implementation period will be five years.
This investigation started in August 2024, and a preliminary ruling was made in December 2025. The investigation results were clear: imported dairy products from the EU exist in subsidies, which have caused substantial damage to China's domestic industry, and there is a causal relationship between the subsidies and the damage.
From a procedural perspective, this investigation lasting one and a half years has reached its conclusion. Our countermeasure is reasonable and legal. This case strictly followed China's laws and regulations and World Trade Organization rules, with a transparent and open procedure.
We know that China does not take the initiative to provoke, but we will not be bullied.
For the Dutch government's political manipulation, our enterprises have used all legal means to protect their rights, and the Foreign Ministry has issued a serious warning to the Netherlands, urging the Dutch side to solve the problem for the enterprise and create favorable conditions for stabilizing the supply chain.
At the end of this confrontation, the Netherlands will pay the highest price.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/7605898044340519470/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.